Labeling machine



y 1945- w. D. KIMBALL ET AL 1 LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ll|lllllll llllllnrl lllll IIIIIIII THE/R ATTORNEYS y 8,1945. w. D. KIMBALL ETAL 2,375,305

- LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 726 571? ATTO RN EYS Patent ed May 8, 1945 LABELING MACHINE Wallace D. Kimball, Middle Haddam, and Edgar Ardell, Middletown, Conn., assignors to Standard-Knapp Corporation, Portland, Conn., a corporation of New York Original application October 8, 1941, Serial No.

414,196. Divided and this application 24, 1944, Serial No. 523,720

. 8 Claims. (01. 91-42) This invention relates to machines for labelingcans, bottles and the like, and more particularly to machines of the kind in which the articles are moved through it in upright position, or substantially upright position. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to the mechanism for applying the pick-up adhesive to the articles, this application being a division of our, copending application, Serial No. 414,196, filed October 8, 1941,. and relating to a generally improved construction of labeling machine of the I vertical type.

The cans or bottles to be labeled usually come from a cooking process or a filling machine and then, after receiving their labels, are sent to the casing apparatus where the articles are packed in cases either for shipment or storage. The cans are fed to the labeling machine at a high rate per minute and the casing apparatus is also capable of high speed operation, and an object of the invention is to provide a label machine which will place the labels on the articles at the necessary high rate per minute, and which will place the labels accurately in position without passing shiners" or unlabeled articles through the machine. 7

In applying the pick-up adhesive or gumflto the articles, by means of which the outermost or foremost label in the magazine i picked off from the label supply and caused 'to adhere to the can or bottle, the vertical type labeling machine presents problems not present in the horizontal type. One of these is the problem of uniform application of pick-up adhesive throughout the length of the can, or the height of the space to be occupied by the label. The object of the I present invention is to provide a pick-up gum the following detailed description, our invention will-be understood.

In these drawings: a Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved labeling machine;

- on line 22 of Fig. 1;

February Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale taken on line 33 of Fig. 1

through the gum applying mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3; and

'Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now. to the accompanying drawing the machine has a hollow frame I substantially square in transverse section. Frame I has at the front a fiat top portion 3 (Figs. 3 and 1) and at the rear of this and elevated somewhat, there is a flat shelf portion 4 (Figs. 3 and 2). Above the fiat portion 3 there is supported in horizontally adjustable but vertically fixed position an elongated plate 5 which extends longitudinally from end to end of the machine and upon which are mounted can-timing mechanism 6 at the entrance end of the machine, a pick-up gum applier l, a label magazine 8 and a lap end pasting mechanism 9, as well as the various members which constitute the can guides.

Above shelf portion 4 of the frame are mounted the supporting track III, on which the cans or bottles are supported in their travel through the machine, the top guide II for guiding the tops of the articles and the carrier belts l2 and 13, by means of which the cans are conveyed through the machine supported on bottom track It] and in rolling contact with the can guides which are on the opposite side of the can trackway, from the'carrier belts. These can guides will be described in detail later on.

It will be understood that as the cans move past the gum. applier I, a small quantity of adhesive is applied lengthwise of the surface of the can and in extent corresponding to the width of causes this end of the label to adhere to the can or more commonly to the front end of the label which it overlaps.

The cansare supplied to the left hand or entrance end of the machine by means of a positively driven conveyor comprising, for example, a pair of conveyor chains H which are drlven preferably from the labeling machine. The incoming cans are carried on these chains and guided by means of side guides I5. At the delivery end of the machine a similar pair of conveyor chains I6 is provided preferably operated from the labeling machine and provided with suitable side guides forming a conveyor, by means of which the labeled cans may be carried to the next operation in the line, for example, to a casepacking machine.

The can guides referred to above are made up of several different elements at difierent portions of the can trackway. At the entrance end of the machine these guides comprise upper and lower parallel rails or bars II against which the beads of the cans roll. The front end of the upper rail II is substantially opposite the front end of the timing mechanism (Fig 1) while the front end of lower rail I1 is substantially opposite the rear end of this mechanism These two rails are supported at their .front ends by brackets which extend at their rear or right-hand ends to the label magazine 8. Their support at this end comprises a vertical bar 20 (Fig. l) which in turn is supported at its lower end by two spaced rods 2i. These two rods are supported on the side of the label magazine 8 one above the other (Fig. l).

The can guide rails II deliver the beads of the cans into a pair of vertically spaced magazine rails 22 and 23. (the latter not being visible), one positioned at the top edges of the labels and the other positioned at the bottom edges of the labels. From the rear of the label magazine 9 until the cans are delivered to the outgoing conveyor chain ii, the can guide consists of a flat metal plate 24 on the surface of which a roll-down pad I8 of soft resilient material such as sponge rubber is mounted. The bodies of the cans roll over this pad and by it the labels are smoothed out flat on the can surface.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, the carrier belts I2 and I3 are of the V-type and are supported by pulleys at opposite ends of the machine. The pulleys for lower belt I2 are indlcated at 25 and 26 and those for upper belt I 2 at 21 and 29. Pulleys 25 and 21 are mounted on a. vertical rotarypost 29 at the right hand end of the machine, and pulleys 26 and 28 are mounted on a similar post 30 at the left hand end of the machine. These pulleys are slidably keyed to the posts upon which they are mounted so as to rotate with the posts but to be vertically movable thereon to permit the adjustment of the carrier belts.

These posts 29 and 30 are mounted in the machine frame at their lower ends only, these ends being reduced in diameter to form a shoulder 3i (see righthand of Fig. 2) which supports the posts on a washer 32 which rests on the upper surface of shelf 4. The reduced lower end portion of each of the posts i received in a. bearing bushing within bosses 33 and 34, respectively, formed on the lower side of shelf I.

The carrier belts I2 and I3 are driven from a shaft 95 driven by a motor, not shown) by means 4 and 5, is mounted on a gum or adhesive recepasvasos tacle I22 which has a base I29 arranged to slide upon the upper surface oi lateral adjusting plate 5. This base has members I24 at the bottom which engage both the side edges and the bottom margins of the plate and support the base and adhesive-applying mechanism in longitudinally slidable relation on the plate.

It will be understood that since the can makes one complete revolution between the gum applier I and the front end of the label magam'ne 8, it is necessary to readjust the longitudinal position of gum applier I on its supporting plate 5 whenever there is a change in the diameter of the cans to be labeled. To accomplish this adjustment a lon screw I25 having a crank I26 at its left hand end is arranged in threaded engagement with the slidable base I23 of the gum pot I22. This screw is journaled in a bracket on plate 5 which prevents longitudinal movement of the screw.

The gum not has a gum pump I21 mounted within it, the shaftof the pump being indicated at I28. In order to drive the pump shaft and at the same time permit longitudinal adjustment of the gum applier, a short shaft I29 (Fig. 1) is journaled at the left hand end in a bracket on plate 5 and driven from along shaft 90 by means of a chain I30 and suitable sprockets. Shaft 94 is continuously rotated by driving mechanism, not shown. Shafts I29 and 94 are parallel and shaft I29 is connected with pump shaft I28 by an extensible connection formed by means of a, slotted sleeve I3I which telescopes over the right hand end of shaft I29 and is coupled to shaft I28. A pin' I32 fixed in shaft I29 engages the slot in slotted sleeve I3I.

The gum or adhesive I33 in the gum pot I22 i maintained in'melted condition and at a suitable temperature by means of an automatically controlled electric heater (not shown) mounted in the base of gum pot I22. This liquid adhesive is drawn into the pump through passageway I34 and delivered through passageway I35 to a vertical gum head I38 which is provided with a series of adhesive-applying nozzle I31 by which the adhesive is applied to the can in a vertical row of spots.

Gum head I38 has a vertical gum distributing passageway I38 extending from top'to bottom and at the bottom this passageway is enlarged and arranged to fit tightly over a nipple I39 which is secured to the base of pump I2I over the discharge end of passageway I35. By means of this connection with nipple I39 the gum head may be pivotally adjusted to swing nozzles I31 into the proper position with relation to the path of the cans so as to. cause the gum to be deposited on their surface in proper amount without causing movement of the nozzles I3'I which are spring mounted in order to enable them to be quickly out in and out of operation for cans of different height, as will be presently described. Nozzles l3! are adjusted in and out in relation to the path of the cans not only to obtain proper deposit of adhesive but also to enable the trackway to accommodate cans of different diameters. The connection with nipple I39 is also slidable vertically so that the gum head may be adjusted to center the nipples between the beads of the can as shown in Fig. 3.

To accomplish both of these adjustments the gum head is provided with an arm I40 projecting laterally from its side, and this am is provided with a curved slot MI which receives a vertical post I42 which is mounted in fixed position on the top of pump I21. Threaded onto this post above and below arm MI! is a pair of knurled lock nuts I43. By manipulating these nuts the gum head can be pivoted about nipple I39 to properly adjust the nozzles I31 with relationto the surface of the cans, and the gum head can also be shifted vertically and then looked again in its readjusted position.

As may be seen best in Fig. 4, thenozzles I31 are positioned at one side of the gum distributing passageway I38. They each comprise a slender rod I44 which closely fits a guideway shown in the drawings as a hole I45 drilled through the giim head, this rod being tapered at its left hand end Fig. 4) to form a nozzle, and provided with a knurled handle I46 at its opposite end. The gum is conveyed from the distributing passage I38 to each of the nozzle-positioning holes I45 by a transverse passage I41.

To enable the nozzles to be thrown out of action to accommodate shorter cans than shown in Fig. 3, for example, or in case it is desired to place fewer spots of adhesive upon the cans, or to place more adhesive near the ends of the can than at the center, the nozzle rods I 44 are shiftable in their holes I45 so as to withdraw the nozzle tips I31 from operative position, the top nozzle of Fig. 3 being shown in such withdrawn position. It is desirable to automatically cut off the supply of adhesive to the nozzle tip simultaneously with this withdrawal of the nozzle. To accomplish this and to convey the adhesive from the cross passages I41 to the nozzle tips, each of the nozzle rods I44 is reduced in diameter as shown at I48 (Fig. 4) forming a space for the adhesive to pass from passage I41 to a transverse hole I49 in rod I44 which connects witha longitudinal bore I53 that conveys the gum to the tip of the nozzle.

In reducing the diameter of rod I44 at I48, shoulder I5I is formed which, as the rod I44 is shifted outwardly, closes passage I41 and cuts oil the supply of gum.

The nozzle rods I44 are each held in operative position by means of a helical spring I52, one end of which engages a collar I53 on the rod, and the other end of which engages a stationary slotted bar I54 which is secured in fixed parallel relation to gum head I36. Each of the nozzle rods I44 has a pair of projecting lugs I55 which, when the nozzle rod is pulled outwardly and turned 90 by means of knurled handle I45, will engage the margins of the slot in slotted bar I54, as shown in Figs. 5 and 4, and hold the nozzle rod in its outward or inoperative position.

In a vertical labeling machine it is difiicult to apply the adhesive uniformly throughout the height of the can on account of the variation in hydrostatic pressure of the adhesive between the bottom and top of the can. To overcome'this difficulty, each of the individual nozzle passages I41 at the point where it communicates with the vertical distributing passage I38 is provided with an adjustable needle valve I55. Hence by correctly setting each of these individual needle valves from the bottom to the top of the gum head I36 to cause the nozzles to deposit spots of gum of equal size, the adhesive applier will always produce a uniform distribution. When these valves are once correctly set, they do not have to be adjusted thereafter when changing from one height can to another, inasmuch as the nozzle cutoff is independent of these needle valves.

Another consideration of importance in labeling machines is the maintenance of uniform temperature in the adhesive spots from one end of the can to the other. If the temperature of the top spots of adhesive, for example, is lower than that of the bottom spots, the top spots of adhesive will have a lower viscosity than the bottom spots and will not spread out as thin when the label is wiped onto the can, but will form decided lumps underneath the label.

To overcome this, the adhesive I33 which is maintained at a constant appropriate temperature is circulated by pump I21 through the distributing passageway I38 at a much greater rate than that at which the gum is withdrawn through the nozzle passages I41. That is to say, the adhesive is continuously recirculated through the passageway I38 and thence out at the'top of the gum head through a conduit I51, the lower end of which I58 delivers the gum substantially at the level of the body of gum I33 in the receptacle I22. By constantly recirculating the gum in this way, the gumhead I36 throughout its length and nozzles I31 are maintained at a substantially uniform temperature.

' By means of the present invention, we have provided a vertical labeling machine which has proved to be unusually successful commercially both in its speed of operation (the number of cans labeled per minute). in its adaptability to the labeling of cans of difierent types, with or without beads at both ends, and bottles of different types, and to the labeling of bottles or cans differing widely in size, that is, both diameter and height.

The machine lends itself to unusually rapid adjustment for operation on articles of different size, and the adjustments to obtain proper operating conditions on any particular size of article can also be obtained quickly. The machine also is of rugged construction and operates successfully at high speed with a minimum of attention.

It will be understood that the machine illustrated and described above has been chosen to exemplify our invention rather than to define or limit it, and that the scope thereof is set forth in the appended claims, and that changes may be made in the construction of the machine without departing from the spirit of such invention. It will be further understood that the term "can as used in the appended claims is intended to in, clude not only metal cans within the ordinary meaning of the term, but also bottles and other round objects capable of being labeled in the machine. It will also be understood that the improvedpick-up gum applying mechanism may, if desired, be used in connection with a horizontal labeling machine.

We claim:

1. In a labeling machine, a gum-applying device comprising a gum head having a series of spaced parallel bores therein, spring biased nozzle members slidable in said bores, and passages in said head for supplying adhesive to said nozzle members.

2. In a labeling machine, a gum-applying device comprising a gum head having a series of spaced parallel bores therein, nozzle members slidable in said bores, stop means to limit the outward movement of the nozzle members in their respective bores, resilient means urging the respective nozzles against said stop means, and passages in said head for supplying adhesive to said nozzle members.

3. In a vertical labeling machine, a gum head, a plurality of longitudinally slidable nozzle members carried thereby, said nozzles beingindividually slidable in said head to simultaneously remove the nozzle from operative position and out off the supply of adhesive thereto, and individual passages for conveying adhesive touch of said nozzle members, said passages each having a valve for adjusting the amount of adhesive admitted to each of said nozzles. i

4. In a vertical labeling machine, a guni head,

a plurality of longitudinally slidable nozzle memseries of gum-applying nozzles carried thereby, a mounting for supporting said gum head for pivotal movement about an axis which is parallel to the axes of the cans moving along said trackway, the said nozzles being displaced from the axis of said mounting so that movement of the gum head about said pivot causes said nozzles to approach or recede uniformly toward or from the path of the cans on saidtrackway to adjust said nozzles in operative position, and means associated with said mounting for securing the gum head in adjusted position on said pivot.

6.v In a labeling machine, a trackway for cans, means for conveying. cans along said trackway, a gum-applying device having a gum head, a series of gum-applying nozzles-carried thereby, a mounting for supporting said gum head for pivotal movement about an axis which i parallel to the axes of the cans moving along said trackway,

said mounting also permitting movement of said gum head in a direction lengthwise or said axis, the said nozzles being displaced from said pivotal axis so that movement of the gum head about said pivot causes uniform lateral adjustment of said nozzles with respect to the path of the cans onsaid'trackway, axial movement of said gum head causing uniform adjustment of said nozzles laterally of said trackway but at right angles to the first adjustment, and means associated with said mounting for securing the gum head in adjusted position.

'1. In' a-labeling machine, a can trackwav, a gum-applying device comprising a, gum head adjacent said trackway, a plurality of-guideways in said head extending towards said trackway, a gum-applying nozzle member mounted to slide in each of said guide ways, spring means coacting with said nozzle members to bias them toward said trackway, and passages in said head for supplying adhesive to said nozzle members.

8. In a labeling machine, a. can trackway, a

, gum-applying device comprising a' gum head adj'acent said trackway, a plurality of aligned, spaced giudeways in said head extending towards said trackway, an elongated gum-applying nozzle member mounted to slide in each of said guide ways, spring means coacting with said nozzle members to bias them toward said trackway, and passages in said head for supplying adhesive to said nozzle members.

WALLACE D. KIMBALL.

, EDGAR ARDELL. 

